What is your family’s preference in Christmas trees?  Are you a romantic who loves the smell of pine in your home, evoking memories of childhood days, or are you in the majority who forgo real evergreens for a fake tree?  Debates flare over this topic.  Which is more economical?  Which is more environmentally friendly?  Which is healthier?  Hmm, let’s compare and contrast.

According to the American Christmas Tree Association, yes, there is such an organization, 82% of Christmas trees displayed were artificial, versus 18% being real.  According to records, the first company to make artificial trees was the Addis Brush Company.  They were in the business of making toilet bowl scrubbers, so the early fake Christmas trees were merely tall, green toilet scrubbers (that’s not a romantic holiday picture!). These days, 80% of the artificial trees are made in China.

Artificials: Pros and Cons

Artificial trees are commonly thought to be more environmentally friendly because a living tree is not cut down.  But when you think about it, fake trees leave a large carbon footprint, considering the manufacturing process, the packaging, the shipping from China and trucking around the States.  On top of that, fake trees are made up of PVC, steel, and aluminum.  The PVC plastic can contain especially harmful chemicals, like arsenic, lead, and phthalates, which are recognized endocrine disruptors.  There is little oversight on the toxicity of the chemicals used, especially in ones made in China.  New trees emit volatile organic compounds, VOC’s, which can cause various problems for people.  To reduce the VOC’s, keep a new artificial tree outside to air out for as long as possible before bringing it indoors.  To top out those disadvantages, at the end of its life, it cannot be recycled.  It must go to the landfill. 

On the pro side of buying artificial trees, they do last many years, and thus are more economical in the long term.  However, their cost is going up steadily, too.  They certainly seem to be less trouble in setting up, as they come pre-wired.  And, there are no ugly sides of the tree to hide as there might be with a live-grown tree.

Real Trees: Surprising benefits

Now think of a real, live-grown tree.  Historically, evergreen trees were revered throughout the centuries.  Germany is credited with starting the Christmas tree tradition, when in the 16th century, Christians began to bring live evergreens into their homes and decorate them. The tradition was first recorded in the U.S. in the 1830s when German settlers in Pennsylvania put up trees for the holidays. However, at that time, other colonists saw the trees as pagan symbols, and it wasn’t until the 1890s that Christmas trees became popular.

When you purchase a live tree, you’re helping support a U.S. farmer and all the people they employ.  They’re a renewable resource.  Some people assume they’re doing the environment a favor by not cutting down a real tree. But on average, real Christmas trees grow seven years before they’re big enough to cut down. That’s seven years the tree produces oxygen and scrubs the air of carbon dioxide, whereas one artificial tree adds 100 pounds of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere during its manufacturing process and shipping.

Each year, there are over 350 million Christmas trees growing across the country on 350,000 acres of land. This land preserves green space and provides a home for birds and other wildlife. Once a tree is cut down, a farmworker plants one to three seedlings in its place for future years.

Going out to find your own tree is fun and can help reduce and relieve holiday stress. In fact, this year there is a real uptick in live tree purchasing.  It’s assumed that this is due to the pandemic stress, with families staying home and trying to create pleasant memories. Each tree is unique in its own way, and the time you spend finding your “perfect tree” creates memories with friends and family.